Never Too Late
by Romanticiannn
Summary: Takuya and Izumi have known each other for more than 5 years and perceive each other more than just friends, but now someone finally decides to make the first move


**This is my first ever Takumi fanfic! *squeals Heheh I've always been a big big BIG fan of Takumi, so much that I always wanted a sequel of the Frontier season SO BADLY. I decided to write a fanfic with the compilations of the Takumi moments in the show, but I realised that there really isn't much. Anyways, I hope this won't be a disappointment. Please pardon me for any flaws in the story but I do hope you'll like it! (:**

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Orimoto Izumi hummed slightly as she stood at the cliff on the beach. The gentle wind blew in her direction, letting her golden hair glide on it.

The Italian opened her eyes as soon as the sea breeze stopped blowing. Smiling, she looked down at her clothing - a pair of white shorts, a lavender tank top and a dark purple jacket. She was looking alright, that was for sure.

Five years had passed since the Digital World had been saved. Izumi would never forget the friends she had made during the trip - Kouichi, the one who had initially been their enemy, who yet turned out to be one of their comrades; Tomoki, the little boy who used to only cry at almost everything, and who was now a courageous, responsible boy; Junpei, who used to have a rather huge crush on Izumi (Izumi remembered in slight disgust) and who, well, unexpectedly still had one after all these years; Kouji, who Izumi used to feel was a lone wolf, yet he turned out to be a nice person, who Izumi now viewed as a brother; and lastly, the leader Takuya, who used to be pretty immature and was always picking fights with Izumi, yet Izumi could not deny how much he had grown as a leader.

At the thought of the leader of the Frontier Gang, Izumi could not help but blush slightly. Over the past five years, the gang met regularly to catch up, and Izumi realised that she had developed romantic feelings for the gogglehead. But the Italian, being adamant, was dead set on the idea that the guy should always confess first. Besides, Izumi was never sure if the feelings were mutual.

The blond beauty sighed deeply. Once again, she was troubled by the fact that the two of them had made no progress at all. She wondered if it was time to give up.

"Hey."

Izumi blinked, turning around and letting a light gasp as she saw a brunette with a warm grin. Takuya had his head cocked to one side playfully and his hands stuck in his black pants.

"Hey to you too."

Izumi returned the smile, turning her body by a hundred and eighty degrees. The brunette straightened himself, pushing up his cap, the same cap from five years back. The one which had accompanied him during the Frontier journey.

Takuya walked slowly towards Izumi, before stopping beside her. Izumi's gaze followed the brunette.

"Never thought we'd share the same secret hideout."

"What are you worried about?" Izumi asked.

Takuya turned to the blonde with a slightly surprised look, while the blonde blushed slightly in response.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed that you would've come for the same purpose."

Takuya shook his head with a light chuckle. "Nah. I just came here unknowingly. I was thinking of the Digital World."

"I'm sure Patamon would already be Seraphimon and matured tremendously by now," Izumi smiled as she recalled the orange winged-creature.

"And Bokomon would probably be writing books," Takuya added.

"Neemon... I wonder if he's any different," Izumi giggled.

"And Pabumon? What do you think happened to Pabumon?"

The blonde bit her lip at the mention of the baby digimon which had been greatly attached to her while they were at the Village of Beginnings. Pabumon had been one of the digimon who left the greatest impression on her, having always sticked by her, reminding her that he was just like her 'son'.

"Sorry," Takuya quickly said upon realising that he had upset the blonde.

Izumi shook her head with a little smile.

"Say, Takuya, do you remember when we first met?" Izumi asked, looking up at the brunette who was a head taller than her now. "I still remember that you were shorter than me."

Takuya chuckled, patting the Italian on her head. "I sure was, but looking at the situation right now, I can't say the same thing."

Izumi pouted her cheeks, earning another chuckle from the Japanese boy.

"I still remember when back then you fell off that little cliff, and you pulled me down, and slapped me," Takuya laughed.

The Italian turned beet red at the memory, embarassed for having slapped her own crush. "I was... I was startled!"

Takuya rolled his eyes playfully.

"Sure you were."

"Say, Takuya, am I... heavy?" Izumi stammered after a while.

Takuya raised an eyebrow at the Italian, unable to process her question.

"What's with the question?" The gogglehead did not understand what went through the mind of the slim Italian.

"It's just... Back then in Sefirotmon, I remembered falling on top of you... And well, you claimed that I was heavy," Izumi blushed with each word.

"Seriously, Izumi, I was just kidding," Takuya did not know whether to laugh or cry. The blond beauty was simply too cute. "Speaking of back then, I remembered when those funny red hands came out from the walls, and one of them touched your ass."

Izumi's face instantly turned red as she recalled the memory. She had grabbed the nearest block and smashed it into the thing nearest to her, or rather, person, who just happened to be Takuya.

"It was just my reflexes kicking in!" The blonde protested.

Takuya smirked. "Hey, you've actually done quite a number of bad things, haven't you?"

Izumi grimaced slightly, folding her arms and lifting her head high. "I'm sure I haven't! Kanbara Takuya, I can't believe how much of an ungrateful person you are! What about that time when I rewarded a hug to you and Kouji after we helped the Gomamon?"

Takuya stood rooted to the ground, mouth slightly agape as he was slightly taken by surprise. The brunette was just about to answer, when the blond beauty stood on the tip of her toes and pointed a pudgy finger at him.

"I'm not done with you yet! And what about back then when you and Kouji were stuck in Serifotmon and I used the digivice to communicate with you?"

"I-"

"And, if I hadn't ate thirty plates of curry rice in an hour we wouldn't have gotten that train ride to Venus Rose!"

"Speaking of which, how were you able to-"

"And, if back then I hadn't went to get the Trailmon at the Village of Beginnings I don't think you would even be talking to me now!"

"Actually, that was Pabumon's-"

"And if I hadn't defeat Ranamon and Calamaramon would you and Kouji have been able to acquire the ten spirits? And if it hadn't been motivating you and Kouji by telling the two of you I'd go on a date with you two you wouldn't have been able to defeat Lucemon!" The blond beauty continued.

"Speaking of which, I haven't gotten my date yet!"

Izumi was just about to continue, when she paused, a finger raised to her chin. A bulb lit up in her head, and the blond beauty laughed nervously, slowly turning away.

"Orimoto Izumi!"

"Sorry!" Izumi squeaked, bowing down ninety degrees to the leader.

Takuya chuckled, ruffling the blonde's hair and causing her to puff her cheeks.

"Ever realised how many times I've saved you in the Digital World?" Takuya asked with a light smile.

Izumi blushed as she smoothed her hair back in place, before looking up shyly at the brunette. "I only remember once, when Tomoki had been stuck in a nightmare. The tree I was standing near was about to collapse, and you saved me."

The brunette nodded his head. "Mm hm. And what about the multiple times I saved you from the Royal Knights?" Takuya smirked.

"It wasn't just you, there was Kouji too!" Izumi protested, punching the leader in the arm. "But there was the time when you tried to get back my Human Spirit as Vitramon."

"Don't remind me, I failed miserably," Takuya groaned, his shoulders drooping.

The blond beauty smiled, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I really appreciate that you tried, honest."

Takuya smiled back thankfully. That was the beauty about Izumi. She seemed to be beautiful inside and out. She was always kind and patient, and Takuya loved her dearly for it.

"Actually, Izumi, I have something to confess."

"Hm?"

"Back then when Cherubimon had defeated Kouji and I, I... Well..." Takuya's face turned beet red and the leader began to scratch his head nervously.

"Well...?" Izumi raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I actually dreamt of having a date with you back then when I was unconscious. I was really tired and you were telling me that we had defeated Cherubimon," the leader began slowly as he tried to say as coolly as he could. After all those years, he had matured tremendously, and was rarely embarassed.

"Dreamt," Izumi breathed, with a slight blush. The same could not be said for the Warrior of the Wind who had grown much more shy as she became more conscious of many things.

Takuya nodded his head. "That's right."

An awkward silence hovered between the two former digimon, and Izumi shifted uncomfortably.

The blond beauty let out a deep breath, slowly opening her eyes. "Takuya..."

"Hmm?"

"Remember that time when we were in Ophanimon's castle?"

Izumi noticed the boy pausing for a moment, but she could tell it was not because he was trying to recall. Rather, the boy seemed... slightly troubled.

Takuya now heaved a sigh, turning to Izumi. "Listen, Izumi, the thing is, back then when I told you that I liked you, I really meant it as only a friend."

"Oh," Izumi said quietly. The blond beauty felt as though a thousand knives had stabbed right into her heart, and gulped as she tried to fight back her tears. It had all just been her wishful thinking.

Izumi shut her eyes briefly, thinking to herself that she had to leave right then. Things were getting too awkward, far too awkward. She had embarassed herself in front of her crush of five years.

"I see," Izumi smiled forcefully. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

Without waiting for a reply, the Italian turned around to leave the beach, lifting the back of her hand to her face as she tried to hold back her tears. But Izumi was stopped when she was pulled back by someone else.

The blond beauty blinked in surprise as she looked down to see a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and looked up to see the gogglehead staring down at her.

Izumi gasped lightly once more, blinking rapidly as she tried to process what was going on when the brunette spun her around to face him. Takuya, with one arm around her waist, ran the other hand down her hair, before gingerly wiping off the tears that had run out.

"I haven't finished, Izumi."

Izumi gulped slightly.

"Izumi, back then when I said those words I really didn't have romantic feelings for you. But that doesn't mean I don't have these feelings for you now."

The Italian gasped, blinking rapidly.

"During the trip to the Digital World, I'd always look to you as a sister. But after the journey, after all these years, you grew into a remarkable lady, and I recalled all those moments back in the Digital World."

"Moments?" Izumi whispered.

The leader nodded his head with a warm grin. Pulling Izumi into a hug, he rested his head on the Italian's, running a hand through her long golden hair and wrapping the other around her waist.

"My first impression of you was that you appeared to someone pretty stubborn and hot-headed, but along the journey, I realised that it was true."

"Hey!" Izumi gasped, punching the brunette on the chest.

Takuya chuckled, shaking his head and ruffling Izumi's hair. "Hold on, I haven't finished. Along the journey, I realised you were a really fine and independent girl. When your Human Spirit was lost, you seemed really depressed, that was for sure. But you never let that get in your way. Despite Junpei's repeated attempts to get us to turn our mission to getting your spirit back instead, you stopped him and urged us to focus on saving the Digital World first instead.

"And when we were at Seraphimon's castle, you weren't afraid of the other Legendary warriors. Instead you courageously rushed out to grab Seraphimon's egg to safety. You were actually the only one who was optimistic about it, when the rest of us thought that all hope was lost.

"Back then when we encountered the Gomamon, you were the only one who wanted to stay behind to help them, even if it meant doing it by yourself.

"At the Akiba Market, you really surprised me by eating thirty plates of curry rice in one hour."

At the mention of this, Izumi blushed a deep red.

"When you were the last one standing after Cherubimon had defeated the rest of us, you didn't give up. You protected Ophanimon to the very end.

"When Kouji and I were battling Cherubimon or the Royal Knights, I could always hear you call out my name.

"At the Village of Beginnings, I found out that you were really caring, trying your best to help Swanmon and the baby digimon as much as you could. Even when Pabumon kept sticking to you, you didn't mind. You even sacrificed eating for him.

"At Ophanimon's castle, even thought you were sleepy too, you didn't have a single thought about getting even a minute of rest. Instead you asked me to take a rest."

"And in the end, someone was snoring like a pig," Izumi added with a giggle, causing Takuya to pinch her nose.

"My point is, Izumi, with every minute that passed, you always let me find reasons to love you. The thing is, Izumi, I love you," Takuya pressed his nose against Izumi's and whispered.

Izumi blushed deeply, curling her fingers into balls beside her hips. She could not believe what she has heard.

"Takuya... How long have you actually liked me?"

"Truthfully, five years. I never got the courage to tell you, but... The others realised recently that I have a crush on you, and well, they wouldn't stop bugging me to confess to you. I was worried the feelings weren't mutual..." Takuya said nervously, scratching his head.

Izumi giggled, wrapping her arms around the Japanese man's waist and looking up at him. "Well, I was worried about the same thing too. I just can't really believe that you ever had the same feelings for me. It's like a dream come true."

Takuya nodded his head, bending down to peck the blond beauty on the nose.

"Is it too late now?"

Izumi shook her head, standing on her toes and wrapping her arms around the neck.

"Honestly, Takuya? I'm just glad you love me."

The brunette grinned back, bending down slightly and wrapping his arms around the blond beauty.

And the two finally shared their first kiss together. Only then did Takuya realise that Izumi was right.

It was never too late.


End file.
